HIV progression & Symptoms
The Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) has identified that HIV infection can typically be broken down into three distinct stages: acute infection, clinical latency and AIDS. Anyone infected with HIV can spread the virus to other people during any of these stages (CDC 2013).
Acute InfectionWithin 2 to 4 weeks after the virus enters the body, the majority of infected people develop a flu-like illness. Due to the large number of HIV virus in the bloodstream, the number of CD4 cell population fall quickly. The number bounces back once the antibodies are produced. Common symptoms at this stage include:
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Clinical LatencyDuring this phase, HIV reproduces at very low levels therefore a person infected with HIV may remain free of HIV-related symptoms for several years.
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AIDSThe infection progresses to AIDS when the immune system is severely damaged and becomes susceptible to opportunistic infections and cancers. Symptoms can differ according to the infections. When diagnosed with one or more opportunistic infections or has T cells less than 200 cells, he or she is said to have developed AIDS.
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